


Frozen - A Christmas Tale

by Helsanon



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, Christmas, Christmas Decorations, Christmas Dinner, Christmas Eve, Christmas Party, Christmas Tree, Costumes, Dancing, Disney, Disney Movies, F/M, Family, Kingdom of Arendelle (Disney), Kingdom of The Southern Isles (Disney), Movie: Frozen 2 (2019), Post-Frozen 2 (2019), Pranks and Practical Jokes, Snow, Travel, banquet
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-09
Updated: 2021-03-09
Packaged: 2021-03-16 08:14:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,192
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29947077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Helsanon/pseuds/Helsanon
Summary: Christmas is coming and Hans receives a curious gift from two of his brothers: a travel ticket with no determined destination. Having little to lose from spending his Christmas away from his pestering siblings, Hans decides to use the ticket. However, he ended up somewhere he never thought he'd see again.This story is a secret santa gift for the Helsa Discord Server user jackieblue1565! Sorry it's a bit late.[Helsa, Kristanna]
Relationships: Anna & Kristoff (Disney), Anna/Kristoff (Disney), Elsa & Hans (Disney), Elsa/Hans (Disney)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 7
Collections: ❄❄❄





	Frozen - A Christmas Tale

**Frozen – A Christmas Tale**

– This story happens after the movie Frozen 2 –

Chapter 1

_Knock, knock_.

"Who's there?”

“I am.”

“ _I am_ who?”

“You tell me!”

“Uh… I’m Hans?”

“You’re no fun, little brother.”

The door opened, revealing two late-twenties men dressed in princely garments. They entered the room with a joyful stride on their legs and smiles on their faces. The chamber was richly decorated with coats of arms, paintings, and elegant wall motifs. The bed was large and had clean, expensive sheets. The fireplace was a work of art, made of marble and gold. A large window looking east gave the occupants a view of the afternoon sky and the never-ending sea around the Southern Isles’ capital city. Sat on a comfortable chair next to a fancy office desk was the youngest member of the Westergaard family, Hans; he was dressed in simpler clothes, more appropriate for long journeys of work. He sported a finely combed reddish short hair and his old sideburns had now grown into a close shaved beard.

“Say, Hans… do you know what’s coming next week?”

“It’s… Christmas. Everyone knows that.” Hans waved his hands questioningly.

“And you know what Santa gives to naughty children, don’t you?” The two siblings barely hid their excitement.

“Come on, brothers. We’re all grown-ups here. And I haven’t been a naughty person… _lately_.”

“Of course, you weren’t! We’re just messing with you. On the other hand, we came here to give something to you.”

Hans’ eyes grew large. One brother aside, the others never cared about giving him any kind of gift. They used to give him only pranks and embarrassment. Nothing memorable or even respectful.

“I am grateful for your gift, brothers… but I can’t accept it. Whatever you have for me, I know you’ll make better use of it than me.” Hans said, expecting to escape any new torment his brothers had in mind.

“This is no time to be humble, baby Hans! You’ll love it. Here.”

The older brother of the duo handed him an envelope. It was finely crafted and felt good to the touch.

“What’s this?”

“Your Christmas gift!” Open it!”

Hans picked up a letter opener and slowly ripped the top of the envelope, already expecting some kind of trick. However, there was just a sheet of paper inside; it looked like a travel ticket.

“A trip? To where…?” The ticket had the destination covered in some kind of paste.

“It’s a surprise! Wouldn’t you love to travel somewhere you don’t know?”

“It seems unwise. Why would I take a trip to -“

“Nah-ah!” The brothers moved their index fingers in unison, not letting Hans finish. “It’s yours to use as you seem fit. However, you must embark on December 23rd - as you can see on the ticket.”

Hans moved his eyes to the ticket and, lo and behold, they were correct.

“Still, I don’t see any reason to make use of this.”

“Oh, I can… how about eleven reasons? Better yet, twelve! Say, Hans, have you ever spent a good, heart-warming Christmas here?”

The youngest Westergaard became pensive, trying to remember any cheerful Christmas in his life. Again, they were correct. Ignoring those where he was pretty young, most of the festivities weren’t really great. Some were terrifying; almost all of his brothers picked on him and his father never gave him much attention.

“No…”

“There you go. This is your chance to spend your truly first Christmas as you want!”

“How can I be sure this is not some ploy to get rid of me?”

At the accusation, both brothers put their hands over their hearts and produced a hurt visage on their faces.

“And to never do _this_ again?” The oldest of the two quickly reached Hans and applied a sleeper hold on him, while the younger performed a noogie.

“Hey, stop!” The auburn-haired prince slipped off from the hold and pushed his brothers. “You know what? This trip might be exactly what I need. Even if it’s just for a handful of days, at least I can have something different than _this_.”

“Oh, our baby brother is a grown man now!” The brothers looked at each other, speaking in a mocking tone. “We’re glad you accepted. Have fun!”

They hastily turned on their heels and sped out of the room. Hans, tired of such abuse, closed the door and resumed the reading of the ticket. There, it was explained he would receive proper clothing and supplies on whatever place he’d end up; all he had to bring with him was his curiosity.

And curious, he was.

Hans woke up as early as he could on December 23rd, packing up some personal belongings, a travel journal, and some fine regalia. He came to Lars – the only brother to ever treat him well – and his mother; both advised him on travel business and said their farewells. Strangely, all of his other brothers had vanished. Just wanting to get on with it, he promptly went to the anchored ship and showed the ticket to the captain; the latter asked a crewmember to take Hans to his room. As soon as the prince left the deck, one of his brothers appeared on the pier and climbed in, giving the captain a seal and a piece of paper; reading it, the man gave the other prince a strange look.

“Are you sure I’m to take him… _there_?”

“Yes, absolutely. It’s the main part of his ‘Christmas gift’. He should not know the destination until you get there. This seal will override any order from his part since you’re under mine’s.”

“As you wish, Your Highness. What if we arrive there and the royal family doesn’t want to host him?”

“Show them the seal and tell them the Southern Isles are sending a diplomat to take care of some trade deals. I doubt they’ll reject such a proposition.”

“Understandable, Your Highness. It will be done as commanded.”

“Very well. Safe travels. Bring him back in three days.”

Then, the royal prince left the ship and met the same younger brother he visited Hans’ room with.

“It’s done. Can’t wait to know what happens.”

“I don’t think we’ve ever applied such a gag before. Our brothers will become green with envy!”

“Well said.”

Not long after their chat, the ship departed the port and first traveled west, but used a storm to ‘misdirect’ their travel path and went north afterward.

Chapter 2

The heavy snowfall of December brought innumerable problems to Arendelle’s citizens: they had to reopen roads and sidewalks, clean the roofs, stock a lot more of dry firewood, find goods buried under the snow, warm the work animals, and other predicaments. The only people that loved such a situation were the kids, running around playfully; also, the talking snowman named Olaf. He spent most of his days either reading at the library or playing with the children. He could perform his specialty – to give warm hugs – as much as possible.

Arendelle changed somewhat since the events of Elsa’s coronation years ago. Anna was now queen, being a just and loved ruler. Her husband, Kristoff, was her most loyal advisor and his trusty reindeer Sven was having the time of his life – never lacking carrots to eat all day. Elsa took the mantle of the Fifth Spirit and now lived far north, taking care of the spirits of the Enchanted Forest. However, she was bound to arrive for Christmas. Her visits weren’t quite frequent and Anna wanted to maximize her time with her sister.

The palace staff had been working on the decorations and foodstuffs for some time now; everything was complete at noon.

“This will be a great Christmas!” Anna exclaimed, marveled at the vision of the main hall filled with party garnishes. Clad in her beautiful green queenly dress, Anna made some happy little jumps – almost as if she was dancing. Kristoff, dressed in his princely clothing, was leaning against the doorframe and admiring her.

“I’m certain it will be, Anna.” Just watch out to not-“

It was too late. In her delighted spirits, Anna stumbled on the side of a table and many plates with food went flying through the window.

“Oops!” She hid her laughter with two hands while moving towards Kristoff. “I guess the seagulls will have a great banquet today.”

“Never change, Anna.” He gave her a great hug and they spent some minutes embraced.

“I can’t believe Elsa is coming. It has been months since the last time we saw her!”

“Yeah! The entire city feels different when she’s around.”

“Oh! Something very important is missing!”

“And that would be…?”

“Chocolate! Let’s find the boxes!”

“Boxes? How many have you bought, Anna?”

“Hm… it’s better if you don’t think about it!” The queen gave her prince-consort a nervous smile.

It was already dark when Elsa arrived. She was now dressed in white-ish clothes and loose hair, looking very different from her previous look. The night helped her blend with the night townsfolk and reach the palace without much interruption. At the entrance, the guards recognized her and allowed entry. As soon as she entered the main corridor, a familiar face was there.

“Elsa! You’re back!”

“I am, Olaf. But just for the festivities.” Her smile was heartwarming.

“Oh well, then you better enjoy your stay!” They hugged each other.

“Come, I’ll take you to Anna and Kristoff.”

“Lead the way!”

They quickly crossed the palace and entered the main hall, where the royal couple was waiting. Some of the staff also was there. They all greeted Elsa, while Anna jumped at her sister and gave her the warmest of hugs.

“Sister! I’m so glad you’re here.”

“As do I, Anna. I’m always longing to come here.”

“And here you are! Are you hungry?”

“A bit, yes.”

“Then, let’s start!”

As soon as the queen gave the order, an army of servants entered the room and covered the tables with entrées. Everyone there didn’t waste time and attacked the foodstuffs.

Outside, a ship arrived at the docks. The harbormaster came to the captain to inquire about his business in Arendelle. They were exchanging words when Hans left his room and came to the deck.

“Strange. This place is so cold! I could swear we were going west.” He squinted his eyes and, taking a good view of the place they arrived, his heart froze. “A-Arendelle?”

The harbormaster looked up to see who was talking and got a view of Hans. His conversation with the captain became more heated but showing a seal and a letter eased the man. He left and the captain came to Hans.

“Welcome to Arendelle, Prince Hans.”

“What are we doing here, captain?”

“Well, this is the destination of your trip. Weren’t you informed of it?”

“Absolutely not! Those rascals!” Hans was fuming. He never expected to be in this place again, after what happened the last time he came here. And now he was back, against his own will!

“Please, tell me this is a joke. My brothers wouldn’t go so far as to send me here, of all places!”

The captain had a smirk on his face. “Your Highness, I’m sorry, but that’s above my paygrade. I was told to bring you here, and that’s what I’ve done. I’m to bring you back in three days, give or take.”

“THREE DAYS?! You know they might as well throw me at the sea as soon as I’m spotted, right? Or worse! We have to go back, this instant!”

“They won’t and we can’t. This letter and this royal seal are more than enough to give you the power to require a room in the royal palace and to stay here for the allotted time.” The captain handed the documents to Hans. “If I’m not mistaken, you’re to be considered a ‘diplomat’ of our nation here.”

“That is utter rubbish! Why can’t we go back tomorrow?”

“Because we only had supplies for a one-way trip and Arendelle is certainly scarce of more this time of the year. We’ll take some days to replenish. I’d advise Your Highness to enjoy the stay.”

Hans’ first instinct was to throw those documents in the water and return to his room, but the captain’s words started to weigh on his mind. This was all very unusual: why send a diplomat to another country during Christmas? It could only be a prank from his brothers. But what would they gain with this? They weren’t even here to witness how things would unravel…

“Your Highness, you’d better go to the palace. It’s quite late and it’s getting colder and colder.”

“Yes, yes. Good night, captain.” Sullen with the news, Hans picked up his things and left the ship. He inhaled the cold night air, looked at the heavens, exhaled, and prayed to survive the experience.

Hans moved through the city as stealthily as he could, evading the gaze of the dwellers. He couldn’t know how they would react to his presence; might as well reach the palace soon and stay in a room for the entire trip and bring no attention upon himself.

Reaching the gates, the guards barred him; he had to show the documents given to him by the captain. The guards immediately became more hostile and their body language indicated they were about to strike him. However, a senior guard approached the gate, read the papers, and allowed him entry.

“Welcome to the royal palace of Arendelle, Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.”

“Thank you. I’m grateful for your intervention back there.”

“It’s just my job to keep the guard in top shape, condition and decorum, Your Highness. Here, this is your room.” The senior guard offered a set of keys to the prince.

“Thanks. Have a good night.”

“Likewise, Your Highness.”

Swiftly opening the door, Hans entered the room and locked it. Although it wasn’t as richly decorated as his room back in the Southern Isles, it was cozy and had an already lit fireplace. Better yet, a tub with warm water! He didn’t waste time and took a good bath. Refreshed, Hans noticed some sets of clothes on the bed; he chose to dress some sleeping attire.

“I can’t shake the feeling this was premeditated. Either there are spies here or the royal family already knew about my arrival… or they believe someone else would come.”

His musings were interrupted when he heard a knock coming from the door.

“Good evening, my lord! Your dinner is here.”

Hans went to the door and unlocked it, allowing the servant to enter. A smiling, elderly woman entered his room with a good-smelling trail of food.

“I’ll leave this at the table. Cutlery and wine were also arranged.” She bowed to him and left the room before he could even speak.

“Thank you…?” Hans shrugged and sat, eating the delicious food and drinking the wine (not as good as Southern Isles’, he thought) before going to sleep.

Chapter 3

_Knock, knock_.

The sound startled Hans, who was sleeping under heavy sheets and being comfortable in the warm bed. He rubbed his eyes, got up from the bed, and went to the door.

“Yes?”

“Good morning, my lord! Breakfast will be served in 15 minutes.”

“Right. I’ll wait for it.”

“Oh, no! It’ll be served in the dining hall!”

“You mean I should eat with the royal family?”

“Why, yes! You’re a guest, right? And on Christmas Eve! Queen Anna would never pass up the chance to eat with you!”

_‘This woman must be new here. She came here yesterday and didn’t recognize me… as if Anna would even entertain the idea of eating alongside me.’_

“Much obliged for the information. I’ll be there.”

“I’ll inform the queen!”

Hans reached his bag and produced his prince regalia. However, a dire feeling hit him – they’re the same clothes he used at Elsa’s coronation. He realized wearing that wouldn’t do him any favors and he tucked it back inside the bag. Luckily, one set of clothes already available looked royal-ish enough for him to use for such an important meeting. Curiously, it fitted him like a glove, although he now looked like a junior member of the Arendellian aristocracy.

“Something really strange is going on here.”

After wearing his boots, Hans was ready to meet Anna and the others… and go through this _situation_. He opened the door and gave his first step to the most unique Christmas of his life.

In the dining hall, an enormous table surrounded by lots of chairs was covered in many delicacies from both Arendelle and beyond. Anna sat at the head with Elsa and Kristoff at her sides. Olaf arrived a bit later and sat at Elsa’s left.

“Good morning, guys!”

“Good morning, Olaf!” the other three said in unison. Elsa lightly patted his head.

“So, Anna. What’s the schedule of this Christmas Eve?” Kristoff asked.

“I’m glad you asked!” The queen went for a bag beside her and dumped a pile of papers on the table. “We’ll start with this breakfast. Later, we’ll visit the orphanage, then check on the…” At each line she read, Anna would give Elsa a look, basically telling her ‘you’re coming with me and that’s that!’; her sister got the hint and gave a shy laugh at Anna’s behavior. As the list grew, Kristoff became uneasy.

“Will we have time for all that?”

“Of course, silly! We’ll have extra help today.”

“Extra help… from whom?” Olaf inquired.

“We have a guest! Last night, an envoy from the Southern Isles arrived. He’s bound to get here anytime soon and have breakfast with us.” Anna explained.

Kristoff was a bit lost, but then remembered.

“Ah, yes. You’ve told me that some days ago.”

“Isn’t it weird that an envoy would come here on Christmas Eve?” Elsa asked. “People usually spend this day with their families.”

“I guess he or she has no significant others?” Olaf said. “If that’s the case, I’m glad they’re spending it with us. The more, the merrier!”

Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff gave a burst of hearty laughter at the snowman’s words.

“You’re right, Olaf. No one deserves to spend Christmas alone. Even if the envoy is not family, they’ll enjoy some Arendellian hospitality nonetheless!” Anna spoke. Kristoff raised his cup to her words for a toast while Elsa looked at her sister approvingly.

“You’ve become quite the ruler, Anna. I’m proud of you.” She reached Anna’s hand and squeezed it. Anna smiled at Elsa.

“Anna, who is the envoy?” Olaf questioned.

“I… don’t remember? I have to check it again.” She looked at Kristoff, who knew even less. Their discussion was cut short when the double doors of the dining hall opened, with a servant walking through it.

“May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles.”

Hans walked past the servant, keeping a steady pace. He focused his eyes on the walls, trying to evade the (certainly) judgmental looks from the royal family. He stopped a few steps past the servant, turned to the side of the table with the queen, and gave a short bow firstly to her, then to Elsa, and finally to Kristoff.

“Your Majesty. Your Highness. Your Highness.” 

All he heard was absolute silence. Still not looking directly at Anna and others, he wasn’t sure of what was happening. Finally, a voice could be heard.

“Wha… Who… How… Why… Why is HE here?” It was a strong, gruff voice. It could only be from Kristoff, Anna’s prince-consort.

“Is he… THAT Hans?” A thin, innocent voice. The talking snowman? A prodigy from Elsa’s magic. Some outside Arendelle believed he’s just an elaborate trick, but Hans knew better than them.

“Anna, what’s going on?” Melodic, but regal. Elsa’s. But it sounded different. It seemed she was more… assured of herself.

“This is not happening. NOT HAPPENING!” Familiar and high-pitched. Anna’s. Not a droplet of doubt of her being mad.

The guards at the corners of the room moved towards Hans and surrounded him, waiting for instructions. The servant who introduced him sneakily left the room and those bringing food stopped dead on their tracks. The atmosphere was heavy.

Anna rose from her seat and strode towards Hans, staying a mere five meters from him. He could see her face and upper body through the two guards in front of him. She was as beautiful as ever but red with anger; her hands were clenched and her entire body was tense. 

“Is this some kind of a joke, Hans?”

“I… can’t say, Anna. My destin-“

“It’s QUEEN Anna to you!” Kristoff moved to Anna’s right side, tenderly embracing her left shoulder. He was bigger than Hans and his expression wasn’t an amicable one.

“Apologies.” Hans cleared his throat, making use of his quick thinking to defuse the situation. “Queen Anna of Arendelle, this might have been a prank, indeed. My brothers gifted me with a travel ticket to an undisclosed location. I only knew of my destination when I arrived here, yesterday. I am as surprised as you are to find myself in Arendelle.”

The head of the talking snowman appeared between Anna and the guards. He took a good look at Hans.

“Prince Hans, right? Why would you go on a trip if you didn’t know where you’d end up?”

“If you lived with my other eleven brothers, you would understand.”

“So, we should thank all of them for this?” Kristoff interjected.

“Just my two directly older brothers. It seems they worked together to send me here without my knowledge or consent. And, by your reactions, it’s clear they gave you the name of a different brother.”

Anna went back to the table and looked through the pile to find the relevant document. She then read it again.

“Hmm… Yes. He’s a Westergaard, alright. But not you.”

Elsa stood up from her chair, came to Anna, and put her hand on Anna’s shoulder. The younger sister looked at Elsa with confused eyes, not knowing what to do. The platinum blonde then moved towards Hans’ eyesight, near Olaf.

“Hello, Hans. Your presence is unexpected.”

“ _Que-_ Princess Elsa. You look… different.”

“Yes. Much has changed here.”

Once more, the silence reigned in the room. However, Hans and Elsa kept their eyes locked at each other as if they were having a battle of minds. Olaf was puzzled; Kristoff walked towards Anna.

“What are you going to do with him, Anna?”

“I don’t know, Kristoff. I don’t know…” She rested her hands on the table; her head felt heavy and she looked at the floor, lost in thought.

“Can’t we send him back?”

“No. There are not enough supplies for the trip back. This was well-arranged by his brothers.”

“It feels like his entire family is made up of awful people.”

Hans listened to those words and he felt his gut burning. The Southern Isles took many steps to resume relations with Arendelle after his own ‘adventures’ here and this stupid prank could make it all go away. Even if he was the youngest brother, he felt he was probably the most mature of them all. He broke the eye-lock with Elsa and looked at Anna.

“Your Majesty, it seems my presence has caused a lot of discomforts. If it is your wish, I may remain the rest of my time here in my room and do not engage in interaction with you or your family until the day after tomorrow, when I’m bound to return to the Southern Isles. Is that acceptable?”

Hans was surprised with himself. It was like someone else was helping him say those words.

He could see that his suggestion had a great impact on everyone in the room: the guards eased their posture and gave him more space, Olaf was flabbergasted, Elsa seemed lost in thought and the royal couple stared at him, trying to find any kind of poison in his words. Anna broke the silence, resting her head on one hand and dismissing Hans with another.

“Yes, yes. It seems like a good idea.”

“In this case, I take my leave. Your Majesty. Your Highness. Your Highness.” Bowing to Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff, Hans went back to his room, followed by two of the guards.

As soon as Hans left the dining hall, Anna collapsed on her chair. The others came to her side.

“Anna, are you alright?” Kristoff spoke.

“No. His stupid brothers sent his stupid face here. And he’ll stay here for two days. And during Christmas!”

“I’ll give you that: his brothers have good timing.”

“Kristoff! Not helping!”

“Anna, what can we do for you?” Olaf said with concern in his eyes.

“Let’s just pretend he’s not here. We have an orphanage to visit. And lots of stuff to do.”

“Not before you eat something, sister.” Elsa pointed out, at the same time signaling the servants to bring the food.

The royal family slowly returned to their chairs and ate breakfast, barely saying a word. The food helped Anna regain her composure and she was in better spirits after it.

“Okay. Let’s just go through the list. First item: Orphanage!”

Hans went back to his room and closed the door after he entered it. He was hungry, but the scene at the dining hall was too much for him to care about. At least Elsa didn’t blast him with ice powers.

What was he to do? To hide like a cowered animal, away from prying eyes? That’s exactly what he suggested there.

He hated the circumstance he was in. He hated that his brothers tricked him; even more so that people he didn’t want to _see_ again were involved. After spending one entire year shoving manure, Hans had to endure even more penance. His life wasn’t his own to live: it was his brothers’ to get amused from time to time at his misfortunes. He felt like a puppet, and that was too much.

The guards stationed outside his room were surprised by hearing a guttural scream from Hans’ room, followed by an audible _thud_ against the wall. Two _thuds_. Three. Then, silence. 

Later, the servant woman with food arrived and lightly knocked on his door. He allowed her to enter.

“Good morning, my lord! Your breakfast.” She could see that there were knuckles’ marks on a specific brick in the wall. Red marks. 

Hans was sitting on the chair, with his back to her.

“Just leave it there, please.”

“As you wish, my lord.” She left the room as soon as she could.

Hans cleaned his hands on the tub and ate the food. It was as tasty as yesterday’s meal, but he felt no pleasure eating it.

Chapter 4

The royal family just left the orphanage and was now at the stables, with Anna and Kristoff playing with Sven. Elsa and Olaf were near the fence.

“Elsa.”

“Yes, Olaf?”

“You didn’t seem as disturbed as Anna and Kristoff were at the sight of Hans.”

“I’ve made my peace with the person of Hans some time ago. He doesn’t want to be here as much as we don’t want him to be here. I’d normally be the first to send him away, but he was thrown at us instead of coming on his own volition.”

“What are we going to do with him?”

“I… don’t know.”

The morning passed; the royal family was hungry and they returned to the castle to have lunch. Just like the breakfast, they sat in the dining hall and the servants brought food.

Anna noticed that Olaf wasn’t in his normal happy behavior.

“Something in your mind, Olaf?”

“Yes… but I don’t know if I should say it.”

“Olaf, of course, you can say it!”

“Well… this feels awkward, but… I get it, we don’t like Hans. However, are we going to treat him like a stranger? To be kept in his room, like a grounded kid?”

The mention of Hans soured the mood at the table, but Olaf had a point.

“He’s our guest, after all. We wouldn’t keep one of his brothers in a room, would we?”

“His brothers didn’t try anything against us, Olaf.” Anna said. “He’s worse than all of them. Probably combined…” The queen was toying with her food, her appetite clearly lost.

“But… they sent him away. They don’t want to spend their Christmas Eve with their own youngest brother.”

That realization finally dawned on the other three.

“Don’t make me feel pity for him, Olaf. Please.” Anna closed her eyes. Kristoff held her hand and Elsa was pensive.

“Sorry, Anna! I couldn’t help myself. I just felt that no one should spend their Christmas Eve alone.” Olaf completed.

“I’ve heard something like that, earlier.” Elsa said, looking at Anna. “It’s ok, Olaf. We can’t simply forget he’s right here. But I don’t believe it’s a good idea to have him interact with Anna.” Hearing that, Kristoff sent Elsa a smile and an ok with his hand.

“No, Elsa. I’m a queen. I have to act like one.” Anna said, steading up. “He’s a guest and an envoy of a nation we have peaceful ties with. I’ll treat him like one, nothing more. Let’s finish up the list and then I’ll hear him out.”

“Are you sure about that, honey?” Kristoff said.

“I wish I were, Kris. But I’ve promised Arendellian hospitality, haven’t I? Can’t have a queen going back on her word.”

Hans cut some strips from a piece of fabric and covered his right hand’s knuckles. His explosion hurt his hand, but he was used to that. All he had to do was admire the snow falling outside the window. He grabbed his travel journal and started pouring his mind and soul in it; nonetheless, as soon as he finished a page, he would read it, rip it out and throw it away. Writing down his problems wouldn’t make them go away. He could just grab some winter clothes and get himself lost in the woods – after all, Arendelle still had a lot of wilderness and he could live as a hermit. An ironic ending for a man who wanted to rule a kingdom to get out of the shadow of his brothers.

Another knock. Hans opened the door and, instead of the usual servant girl, the talking snowman was there.

“Good afternoon, Prince Hans! May I come in?”

“Erm, sure.” He gave space for Olaf to enter; he sat on his bed, while Hans sat on the chair.

“What do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” Hans’s tone was sarcastic, but Olaf missed it.

“I spoke with Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff about your situation. It seems weird, to say at least.”

“Weird is a good word, yes.”

“I told them that keeping you here wasn’t a good thing to do. You’re our guest.”

“An _unwilling_ guest. I never planned coming here, and after what happened at the dining hall, I guess Anna and the others didn’t take part in it as well.”

“No, we didn’t! We’d never bring someone here against their will!”

There was something in Olaf’s voice and intonation that made Hans uncomfortable. Not that it was unpleasant, but it conveyed an idea of… purity. Innocence. Things Hans barely knew in his life. Those ideas were pretty much alien to him.

“What’s with your hand? Are you hurt?”

“Oh, that’s nothing. I do this all the time.”

“ _Riiight_.” Olaf gave him an incredulous look. “Anyway, Anna requested your presence in the throne room at the fourth hour.”

“Did she? But I told her I’d keep to myself here.”

“You’re not a prisoner, Hans. She’s the person you hurt the most and still wants to talk to you.”

“I’ll give it some thought.”

Noticing he wouldn’t get anything else from the stubborn prince, Olaf said goodbye and went back to his family.

Olaf met the others at the dining hall.

“I spoke with him. He said he’ll think about the invitation.”

“It was more of a summoning than an invitation.” Anna said, sharply. “But I guess it’ll suffice.”

“If he backs down, we’ll know he’s just the same coward of before. Not worthy of our time.” Kristoff replied, nipping at a chicken leg.

“I wouldn’t call Hans ‘coward’, Kristoff. But I understand what you’re saying.” Elsa spoke. “Self-serving would be a more accurate description.”

“Eh, whatever.” Kristoff shrugged.

“Well, enough of this kind of talk! Let’s do something more uplifting. I’ve heard they need help to assemble the Christmas Three in the town square!” Anna exclaimed.

“Sounds like a good idea!” Olaf agreed.

The royal family left the palace and was greeted with cheers from the populace, already busy with the tall tree. It was decorated with snowflake motifs, candy canes, paper stars, garlands, bells, puffy stockings, glass balls, and many more. Still, there was lots of stuff to do! Elsa soared to the top, creating a beautiful ice star on the top of the tree, while the snowman helped kids put the decorations where they should be. Anna spoke with some people about what they needed for the night and Kristoff fetched Sven to help bring more decorations.

From his window, Hans observed the scene. There was a light snowfall giving the entire spectacle a cuter veil – which was augmented by children’s laughter. It was so different from the Southern Isles, where Christmas inside the castle was a dour and cold ceremony... only his mother brought some warmth to the entire thing. Here, even the guards were part of the fun – kids put Christmas wreaths on their necks and ran away from the embarrassed soldiers. People heartily exchanged presents and gifts, trading hugs, beverages, and foodstuffs with one another.

And yet there he was, locked in a room. Sent away like an outcast, part of neither here nor there. The sentiment hardened his heart, as it usually happened in such circumstances. He left the window and laid on his bed, looking at the fire crackling in the fireplace; his mind ran scenarios of what he could do in this state of affairs.

Chapter 5

The church bells toiled four times, signaling it was time for Hans to meet with Anna in the throne room. He was already dressed in the best clothes he could find and left his room.

“May I present Prince Hans of the Southern Isles”, the servant announced. Hans entered the throne room and saw that Anna was already there, sitting on the throne. Kristoff was standing at her right side, while Elsa and Olaf were at her left. The queen was drumming her fingers on the chair’s arms; Kristoff had a sour visage; Elsa was unreadable and Olaf was curious.

“Your Majesty. Your Highness. Your Highness. Master Olaf.” Hans bowed to the four people in the room. Olaf was taken by surprise at Hans’ courtesy.

“Just ‘Olaf’ is ok, Prince Hans!”

“Prince Hans, I’ve summoned you here to extend a formal invitation. Would you like to spend this Christmas with the Arendellian royal family?” Her words weren’t said in a welcoming tone, and Hans noticed that. It was like she couldn’t believe herself saying them.

However, if there was only thing Hans didn’t like was to be taken pity of. It hurt his pride – one of the few things he could control in his life.

“I’m flattered by your invitation, Your Majesty. Alas, my actions in the past still echo on this very room; it’s clear no one is comfortable with things as they are now. In this light, I propose to keep myself confined to my quarters and have your family enjoy this Christmas without the burden of tolerating my presence.”

“We are burdened by your presence anyway, Prince Hans. Having you locked in your room isn’t the hospitality Arendelle provides to its… _guests_. I insist on having you at least for the Christmas Dinner.”

“I cannot accept, Queen Anna. It’s better for everyone if I stay out of sight. I’ll be leaving soon.”

Elsa couldn’t believe Hans’s stubbornness. He preferred to have a lone, fruitless Christmas night. The former queen had many of those and she couldn’t bear the thought of she or anyone else going through that again. She whispered some words to Anna, which produced a smirk; it was her ace up her sleeve.

“Prince Hans. This goes farther than what you’ve done. I can’t have you go back and tell others that Arendelle didn’t offer the utmost level of generosity for a foreign diplomat. And I don’t say this just because I want to look good out there – it’s because it is the truth.”

Checkmate.

Hans had no artful dodge for that. The sisters certainly had matured into competent rulers and put him in a position he couldn’t say no. For a split of a second, his face dropped any pretense of composure and he showed genuine confusion.

“I…”

“Hans! Just accept it! You can do it!” Olaf was anxious, already gnawing at his twigs.

“I’ve been living with her for some time, you know. There’s no way she will accept anything but a ‘yes’.” Kristoff lightly elbowed Anna. She allowed herself to smile at his remark.

“Hans, don’t make a fool of yourself. You’re here on an official mission, correct? Might as well make good use of it.”

The prince had no words to answer that. Anna noticed Elsa’s subtle suggestion and asked for some ministers to enter the room.

“Prince Hans, my ministers will crown this Christmas with an advantageous trade deal for both parts. But, before you do it, I need to know your answer about the invitation.”

”If it’s Your Majesty’s will, then I will participate in the Christmas dinner.” He bowed and quickly left the room, led by the ministers.

“Whew! That was intense.” Anna exhaled, glad the exchange was over.

“You did well, honey!” Kristoff kissed her cheek. That made her blush. 

Elsa rested her hand on one of Anna’s shoulders. “Have I already told you how proud I am of my little sister?”

“We all are!” Olaf jumped on Anna’s lap and hugged her. Anna finally broke and started crying.

“What’s the matter, sister?” Elsa was confused. Kristoff fetched a handkerchief for Anna, who promptly sneezed on it. Olaf jumped back and brought some tea.

“I… I can’t believe we’re doing this. Having Hans, of all people, in my Christmas dinner…”

The others gave her some time to recompose herself. She wiped her tears and spoke again.

“But… I guess it’s for the better, right? We’re better people than him. We went through so much and are still here, together.”

“We cannot erase the past, Anna. What’s done is done. On the other hand, the future is yet to be written. We should strive to make it better than the past.”

“Whoa, Olaf!” The other three said in unison. “That’s…”

“…Exciting, isn’t it? I think I’ve read it somewhere.”

“I’m hungry. When is dinner’s due?” Kristoff slapped his belly.

“Not in four hours. However, you can have a snack in the kitchen if you want.” Anna was back to her joyful self, smiling at her husband’s earthly concerns.

“I’m already there!” Kristoff left the room in a hurry, with Olaf on his tail.

“Wait for me!”

The girls watched them go with a smile on their faces.

“Elsa… are you bringing the spirits to dinner?”

“Anna, they don’t need to eat. Also, they rather stay with the Northuldra. City life isn’t suited for them.”

“Oh, ok… I miss Bruni.”

“Next time, I’ll bring him.”

The sisters embraced, taking their time to enjoy each other’s warm hug.

Anna’s eyes went large with a sudden idea.”

“Elsa! I think I can make this dinner something more… light-hearted!”

“I’m all ears. What do you have in mind?”

Hans finally relaxed when he went to the planning room, where the ministers brought him to. This was his stage and he worked every nook and cranny to get a good trade deal with Arendelle. More money was one of the only things his father could ever thank him for. However, it took a good time from the afternoon and he had time to basically wash, dress, and go to the dining hall.

When he was almost ready, a knock was heard. He opened the door and the usual servant woman had a package with her.

“Good evening, my lord! The queen asks you to wear this for Christmas dinner.”

Without waiting for his answer, she bowed and left. He opened the package and saw red and green clothes inside.

“What’s this, a costume? What a bizarre notion.” He held the clothes in his hands for some time, trying to make sense of it. It even had a small Christmas cap there.

“Imagine an adult wearing this. Looks ridiculous.”

Despite his negative opinions, Hans wore the costume. He checked himself on the mirror and saw that he looked like an elegant version of a Santa Claus’ elf – black boots, red-and-white-striped sox, red pants, green blouse and overcoat, black belt, and a green Christmas cap. Unlike his previous clothes, this one was a bit larger than his measurements.

“I guess this costume dinner has no link to my brothers. It might be entirely Anna’s idea…”

After he was fully dressed, he left his room and made his way to the dining hall. On his way, he met some servants that either snickered at his attire or even clapped in approbation. Looks like this was a last-minute decision and the castle staff wasn’t informed of it.

A dark thought appeared on Hans’ mind. What if this was another prank and he would be the only one dressed like a fool? He was a mere few steps from the dining hall door and froze in place. He didn’t want to withstand another prank.

The prince started to walk backward, preparing to turn back and go back; his leg touched something soft and short. Startled, he saw he stumbled into Olaf – wearing nothing but a red Christmas cap and a small wreath on his neck.

“Prince Hans! Come, it’s almost starting!”

“Are we supposed to wear this kind of… garb for dinner?”

“Why not? It’s fun!”

“It’s inconspicuous. Not an adequate dress code for such a formal event.”

“Formal event? This is Christmas! A time for family and friends! Nothing is more informal than that.”

Those words hit Hans deeply. Family not being formal? That’s another unusual concept for him. Not even in his previous time in Arendelle, he was met with the idea.

He felt something pulling his arm.

“Come! We don’t want to miss a moment!” Olaf was ecstatic with the different Christmas he was having.

Chapter 6

The dining hall doors opened and Hans was immediately assaulted with the great smell of food. The table was covered with traditional Arendellian dishes and punctuated with wine and other beverages. The entire room was decorated with Christmas motifs. The royal family sat in the same position they did during breakfast, with Anna and Elsa heartily laughing at some joke Kristoff made right before Hans and Olaf entered the room. The snowman rushed to his usual chair at Elsa’s left side and received a gentle hug from her. He then waved at Hans to come closer.

As soon as Anna had Hans in her sights, her face changed into a sullen one. Kristoff noticed that and squeezed her hand under the table, giving her a reassuring look. She sighed.

“Good evening, Hans. Please, join us.”

“Your Majesty. Your Hi-“

“Not tonight, Hans.” Kristoff cut him short. “Leave the fancy words at the door!”

Hans was dumb folded. While he was searching for an adequate answer on his mind, he noticed that Kristoff was dressed as Santa Claus, Anna as Mrs. Claus and Elsa was wearing a green Christmas cap similar to his. However, she had her back to him and he couldn’t see more, as the chair covered most of her figure. Surprisingly, between Anna and Kristoff was a reindeer, eating his dinner as if he was a member of the family.

“Uh, there’s a… reindeer at the table.”

“Of course! He’s Sven. Say hello to Hans, Sven!” Kristoff said with complete normalcy. The reindeer looked at Hans and smiled, waving his front right paw; he resumed feeding right after it.

The prince took some wary steps towards the table. The chair right to Kristoff moved by itself as if a ghost pulled it. With the corner of his eyes, he noticed Elsa subtly moving her fingers.

“Take a seat, Hans.” She said, looking askance at him.

Hans sat on the chair and pulled himself towards the table. He was right opposite to Olaf and noticed Elsa was wearing a similar costume to his, but with a more feminine outlook (including a dress instead of an overcoat). He also took note of how they all ate at the table: Kristoff had the least etiquette, followed by Olaf, Anna, and finally Elsa. However, none of them censured the other and just enjoyed the meal and their company.

That was so different from his own experience that he remained there, observing the scene as if he was a spectator. Olaf took note of that and threw a chocolate truffle at him.

“Don’t eat just with your eyes, Hans! Use your mouth! Haha!”

Hans snapped back to reality when the truffle hit him square on his right cheek, soiling his face with the blackish matter. Everyone gasped at the incident, Olaf more than anyone. Hans stood still, taken by surprise by the ‘attack’; he suffered such indignity many times in the past at the hands of his brothers. 

“Hans! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to- wait, what are you doing?”

The auburn-haired man developed a self-defense mechanism with time and made use of it now: he simply picked up the smeared truffle from his face, looked at what was left of it, and _ate_ it.

The others looked at Hans and then at each other, trying to understand what happened

“Hmm, delicious.” He wasn’t lying: it tasted divine. “Care to share another?”

Anna let her knife and fork fall from her hands, as her jaw. Kristoff, Sven, Elsa, and Olaf followed suit. Of all reactions they expected from Hans, that one wasn’t even close to any of them. Anna was also the first one to break into laughter, a loud one she hasn’t had for a long time. Olaf joined her, as Kristoff and finally Elsa. Sven was the only one not laughing because what Hans did was a completely normal thing to him.

“Oh, my. Whew!” Anna recomposed herself.

“What?” The prince inquired.

“We thought you’d be mad at that. We took you for granted… and you surprised us!”

It was the first time Hans felt Anna was talking to him without any prejudice. He decided to keep the spirits of the room at a high level.

“Well, I have twelve brothers. Eleven of them used to throw food at me willingly, so I got used to that. While they tried to make fun of me, I outplayed them and got even more food in that way.”

“Clever. That’s quite a Hans thing to do.” Elsa said, approvingly. She pretended to throw a meatball at Hans, but while he instinctively protected his face with his hands, she gently sent it his way with a current of air. He noticed that and looked at her, surprised.

“Since when can you do that?”

“I’m a different person now, Hans. I’m the Fifth Spirit. I have an understanding with the elements.”

“What…?”

“Let’s say I can do more than ice palaces and snowmen nowadays.” The meatball was approaching his face. He skewered it with a knife and rested it on his plate. He cut it into four pieces and ate one.

“Hmm… tasty!”

“We strive for the best in this house!” Anna exclaimed, joyfully tending to a chicken leg. She was closer to Kristoff than Elsa now, regarding eating methods; the clothes of the royal couple were already getting painted with sauces.

Olaf, delighted at the turn of events, jumped out of his chair and started to hum a Christmas song while dancing. Sven joined him, making a funny scene. Anna called for one of her servants and whispered something in his ear; the man left and, some minutes later, a bunch of the royal staff joined them.

“Welcome, welcome! You guys are family as well.”

“Thank you, Your Majesty!”

“No formalities tonight, please!” Anna pulled her chair closer to Kristoff, who embraced her. Hans witnessed how different things were here, compared to home. This place FELT like a home.

Kai and Gerda, the heads of staff, sat at the left and right of Elsa, giving Hans a judging look. Elsa noticed that and offered them food, taking the prince away from their minds; they didn’t give Hans a second thought and attacked the dishes in front of them.

“So, Hans.”

“Yes, Pri… Elsa?”

“Tell me how Christmas is in the Southern Isles. Is it similar to ours?”

“I wish I could tell you, but I don’t want to sour the mood. I guess the townsfolk have something similar to Arendelle, but in the castle things are… different.”

“I’m sad to hear that. Hope you’re having fun.” She raised a cup to toast with him, which was duly answered by the prince.

“I can say I’ve never had a Christmas dinner like this one. And dressed like _this_!” He waved at his costume. Elsa laughed a bit at his words.

“It was Anna’s idea. She has to be the queen all the time... I can see it taking a toll on her. I’m glad she opted for this event.”

“And you, Elsa? Are you glad to have stepped down and let her rule? Why did you do that, after all?”

“It’s a private matter, Hans. I rather keep it to myself.” Her face was a bit sad for seconds, but then she lighted up again. “But I can appreciate her work; she’s doing great in my place.”

“She’s certainly something else. Many of her activities are spoken of in the courts of Europe.”

“How do you know that?” Elsa looked at him, inquisitively.

“I traveled a bit in these past years. ‘Try to find yourself’, my brother told me.”

“And did you?”

“I…” Hans was cut short when a local band entered the room and started to play an upbeat song. As if it was magic, most people stopped eating to dance; in mere moments, only the royal couple, Elsa and Hans were on the table.

“That melody is catchy!” Anna said, jokingly moving her body with Kristoff.

“Want to dance, honey?”

Anna was about to say something, but a cute burp stopped her. “Oh, Kristoff… I ate so much. Perhaps I can rest on your arms?”

“You know I’d never say no to you.” He brought her closer to him.

Elsa was also being infected with the music and shook her shoulders and head with the rhythm. She looked at the dancing people and sighed.

“I missed this fun.”

“It certainly looks like it.”

Hans’s voice made Elsa look at him. “Don’t you want to join them, prince?”

“I don’t think it’s proper in my situation, princess.”

“You’re dressed in an elf costume, Hans. Do you really think ‘proper’ is, well, the _proper_ word to be used tonight?” She then resumed watching the dancing people.

Hans looked at her and then at Anna and Kristoff. He blinked, trying to find the correct words to say – but he discovered he couldn’t produce anything of note. A little voice was telling him to enjoy the night; a voice he had suppressed for a long time. 

It was himself.

Hans finally snapped, noticing a weird look Anna and Kristoff were giving him. 

“Excuse me. Anna. Kristoff.”

He cleaned his mouth and hands, stood up, and moved to the other side of the table, taking a long stride around it. He stopped near Elsa.

“Care to join me in this dance, princess?”

The former queen looked surprised at Hans, who extended his right hand to her. His left one was behind him.

“I’m fine here, Hans. Thank you.”

“Suit yourself.” Hans turned to the dancers and gave the first step; he felt a soft hand grabbing his left one.

“Wait.” Elsa looked at her sister. Anna was annoyed at Hans’s boldness, but the night was too good to get angry. She silently whispered ‘just tonight and take care’ to her sister. Elsa, blushing, allowed Hans to raise her from the chair and accompanied him to the dance. As soon as they reached Sven and Olaf, they joined them.

“Yay! You’re here! Aren’t Anna and Kristoff coming?”

“They ate too much!” Elsa said, holding laughter with her hand. Sven shook his head, disappointed at Kristoff. The latter noticed that and shrugged, eating another truffle.

After a while, the band changed the song to another one, slower-paced. Olaf and Sven, tired of dancing, rejoined the royal couple at the table and they all watched the couples dancing. Hans invited Elsa for the second dance and she accepted, reluctantly.

“Wow! Hans knows his moves.” Olaf commented.

“Knowing how to dance is like a prerequisite for royals.” Anna added. “However, we’re a bit lax here in Arendelle…” she pinched Kristoff’s arm.

“Hey! Dancing doesn’t help much with ice extraction, you know? And I’m more of a singer than a dancing person myself.”

“I know, you dummy. And I wouldn’t have it any different.” Anna snuggled between Kristoff’s arms. “And what’s up with that beard of his?” Anna lazily pointed at Hans.

“He certainly looks less ridiculous now than with those sideburns.” Kristoff answered.

“Sideburns, yuck!” Anna said.

On the makeshift dance floor, Hans and Elsa were waltzing. She wasn’t used to dancing and was unsure of herself.

“What’s the problem, Elsa?”

“I… never had proper dancing lessons.”

“Understandable, under the unique conditions of your upbringing.”

“W-What do you know of my earlier years?”

“What most people know. And I did some research before coming here, back then.”

He could see she was sweating. It wasn’t a topic she liked to discuss.

“You know what? Just follow my lead. I promise I won’t step on your feet.”

“Ok.”

Hans took a more didactic demeanor, almost as if he was a dance teacher. Elsa felt way easier to follow-up with him that way.

“I think I’m getting the gist of this!”

The pair didn’t notice, but the other dancers slowly gave space for them. The music changed so many times that Hans and Elsa lost track of them; all they wanted to do was to keep going. Each new ballad created more confidence in Elsa while relaxing Hans in the same proportion. He even allowed her to take the lead when a slower melody presented itself. The universe was reduced to their eyes, barely blinking, not wanting to miss one moment.

Hans was enjoying that. Being useful. Being someone who _mattered_. Allowed to do what he wanted.

Even if it was for just one night of Christmas.


End file.
